Excerpt from ESPN.com mailbag:

From Duane in Cleveland: How much do you think pollsters will hold it against
any Big Ten team that goes undefeated after the recent history of Ohio State and
Penn State in big bowl games?

Feldman:Honestly, I think it has become a factor -- especially if records are
equal when it comes to SEC and Big 12 programs. Can Ohio State remedy that a
little with an early-season win over USC? Definitely. But the rep took some time
to build, and it'll take more than one big win to fix it.

Speaking of this, a friend of mine who follows the Big Ten raised a possibility
in which much this Big Ten backlash might not exist. He suggested that if
Michigan had been able to beat Ohio State in that No. 2 versus No. 1 matchup in
Columbus in 2006, a game that UM lost 42-39, the Wolverines might have been able
to save the Big Ten's rep in the BCS Championship Game later that season. It may
sound far-fetched, but as he made his case, it did not.

The Wolverines just matched up a lot better with Florida (OSU's eventual
opponent in the BCS title game that year) than OSU did. The Buckeyes were
hindered when standout wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. was injured early in the
national championship game. Michigan -- with Mario Manningham, Adrian Arrington
and Steve Breaston -- had more receiving options. They also would not have been
beaten so soundly up front by UF's pass-rushing ends, because Jake Long would
have been playing offensive tackle for the Wolverines.

My friend also pointed out that Michigan has beaten Florida the past two times
they have played in a bowl game (including after the 2007 regular season).
Moreover, the Wolverines (at least in their old version) seem to match up better
with SEC teams than the Buckeyes do. Michigan has won five of six bowl games
versus SEC teams since 1999. (Tennessee beat the Wolverines in the Citrus Bowl
in 2002.) Meanwhile, Ohio State has lost nine in a row to SEC schools since the
late '70s.

Now, Michigan couldn't beat the Buckeyes in Columbus, so it's a moot point. But
I thought it was interesting to consider.